Today we are meeting to discuss using new ocean technologies to promote efficient maritime transportation and improve maritime domain awareness and response capability.

This is a follow up to our previous hearings regarding maritime domain awareness last July and one earlier this year recommended by Ranking Member Garamendi on the future of the federal government’s navigation programs.

In addition, I held a roundtable in San Diego in February and met with a variety of companies that are part of the Maritime Alliance. The Maritime Alliance represents over 1,400 companies in the San Diego area that produce $14 billion in direct sales and sustain 46,000 jobs from traditional maritime industries to high tech companies – 19,000 of those jobs are high technology jobs.

The Maritime Alliance has identified 14 distinct maritime technology clusters, such as ocean observation, ports and security, maritime robotics and large floating platforms. This is an area of the economy – particularly the high technology maritime companies -- that has been growing and provides cutting edge products around the world. The companies involved in this sector are also significant exporters. Today’s hearing will highlight this sector of our economy and learn how emerging technologies can be best used. We will also hear how we can improve the process for fielding new technologies in a more timely manner.

In addition, we will hear testimony on large floating platforms and their possible applications, specifically in locations such as the Arctic. I believe the Arctic represents an opportunity for us to think outside the box on how we approach establishing a presence in the Arctic region and what technologies can best be utilized in the Arctic.